Knox _non dissentiente_.
The President said the remedy would be worse than the disease, and
stated some of the disagreeable circumstances which would attend our
making such overtures.
November, 1792. Hamilton called on me to speak about our furnishing
supplies to the French colony of St. Domingo. He expressed his opinion,
that we ought to be cautious, and not go too far in our application
of money to their use, lest it should not be recognised by the mother
country. He did not even think that some kinds of government they
might establish could give a sufficient sanction.* I observed, that the
National Convention was now met, and would certainly establish a form
of government; that as we had recognised the former government because
established by authority of the nation, so we must recognise any other
which should be established by the authority of the nation. He said we
had recognised the former, because it contained an important member of
the ancient, to wit, the King, and wore the appearance of his consent;
but if, in any future form, they should omit the King, he did not know
that we could with safety recognise it, or pay money to its order.
* There had been a previous consultation at the President's
(about the first week in November) on the expediency of
suspending payments to France, under her present situation.
I had admitted that the late constitution was dissolved by
the dethronement of the King; and the management of affairs
surviving to the National Assembly only, this was not an
integral legislature, and therefore not competent to give a
legitimate discharge for our payments: that I thought
consequently, that none should be made till some legitimate
body came into place; and that I should consider the
National Convention, called, but not met as we had yet
heard, to be a legitimate body.
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